In the case of fuel injectors, in particular conventional, pilot valve-controlled injectors, which are generally intended for use with diesel fuel, such as, for example, heavy fuel oil or biofuel, it is usually possible to produce a stepped opening ramp in the nozzle needle stroke curve, in particular, with an initially steeper opening ramp section and a subsequently flatter opening ramp section only with considerable complexity in design. However, this feature is desirable for an emission-optimized combustion characteristic when using a fuel injector at a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, in particular, a reciprocating piston engine.